Zenith's Basel 2011 collection was rock-solid (we showed you our favorites here), and the star of the show (at least in our eyes) was the new 38mm El Primero chronograph. A great movement, a great case, vintage-inspired dial and a completely appropriate price ($6200) make this a watch we can surely recommend to all our readers. Here is a look at this new 38mm El Primero vs. the original El Primero from 1969 from which it draws inspiration.

The watch is inspired by one of Zenith's most lauded models, the Reference A 386. This watch was made for a brief period and is the first watch to use the three-color sub-register dial that has become almost standard for Zenith these days - seen in the 1969 piece, the striking tenth, and now the 38mm.

Above, you are looking at a picture of the brand new El Primero chronograph sitting alongside an original A386. it is interesting to note that the new 38mm is not an a remake, but rather it simply takes design cues from the original, not unlike what Rolex has done with their new Explorer II.

The question is, which do you prefer, the original A386 El Primero or the new 38mm?

When Zenith wants to, it can really make a compelling watch. Just shown last week at Baselworld 2015, you are looking at the El Primero Chronograph Classic. There isn't much to it, but it's downright perfect.

Adding to its already robust line up of El Primero chronographs, Zenith has announced a new addition to the range – the El Primero Sport. This new chronograph, set in a 45 mm stainless-steel case, offers another option to clients in the market for a simpler, larger watch without additional complications. Monochromatic chronograph registers, various strap choices, and two dial options complete the latest offering from this 150-year-old manufacture.

Zenith is in it for the long haul here at Baselworld 2015. At least that’s what one can deduce from its latest offering, the Elite 6150. The Elite line is Zenith’s slimmer, dressier offering, and with the 6150’s more-than-100-hour power reserve, it’s almost guaranteed to be an enduring benchmark.

Last year, Zenith released the original Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage, an exceptionally complex watch that puts a fusée and chain constant force mechanism and a unique Gravity Control module on full display. This year, Zenith is following up on that watch with a sequel, and this one adds ornate decoration and artistry to the mix in honor of Christopher Columbus, for whom the watch is named. There’s a lot to take in here, so let’s take a closer look at each component.

A few weeks ago, Zenith threw quite the shindig in Paris to celebrate their Pilot collection, and more specifically their Pilot Type 20. CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour and daredevil skydiver Felix Baumgartner were on hand as well, and Mr. Dufour presented Mr. Baumgartner with the watch he'll be wearing on his 22-mile-high jump tomorrow morning.

When you think of Zenith, odds are, you think "El Primero." One of the first automatic chronographs to come to market (and certainly the first high-beat, integrated chronograph to come to market) the El Primero is something of a cult movement and certainly the backbone of Zenith, who has enjoyed strong success in the past few years based on the launch of some very complicated pieces like the Striking Tenth Chronograph and Captain Winsor at very reasonable prices.

While every movement Zenith makes is indeed their own - they are a true manufacture from top to bottom - not every movement they make is an El Primero. Their Captain line, for example, uses a Zenith "Elite" movement with a VPH (vibrations per hour) of 28,800. One of the defining traits of the El Primero is that it has a VPH of 36,000.

So, while Zenith did put much of its attention pilots watches and continued with chronographs this year at Basel World 2012, one of the most interesting relases came in the form of a brand new time-only watch called the Espada featuring a time-date movement that they are calling an El Primero, despite the fact it is not a chronograph movement.

The El Primero 4650 B was in fact built to spec of the traditional El Primero chronograph, and beats at 36,000 BPH as one might expect - it just happens to be missing the chronograph function. What the new Espada offers is the chance to own part of the El Primero history in a three-handed watch.

Sized at 40mm and available in steel, rose gold, and two-tone steel/rose gold in a few different dials, the new Espada will sit above the Elite collection and below the El Primero Chronograph collection in terms of pricing and prestige. Pricing is expected to start at just above $6000 in steel and $15,000 in gold. Does Zenith need two three-handed movements? We will find out soon enough, though we do expect Zenith fans to be clamoring for this one.

Last winter, we told you the heartwarming story about a teenaged, self-taught Dutch watch enthusiast who was the recipient of a generous gesture from the CEO of Zenith. Well, that little Dutch boy is all grown up and just last week launched his own watch brand.

When Blake and I were in Basel this year, we agreed on one thing -
Zenith had the one of the strongest consumer-oriented collections at the
show, at some of the most reasonable prices (see here
for a quick look). So, when we returned to the states, we reached out
to folks at Zenith and asked if we could review some of their new
products. They were happy to lend us anything we wanted, but the more
we thought about it, the more we thought it made sense to start at the
beginning, or rather the new beginning of Zenith. So, here is a
detailed, week-long review of the watch that relaunched Zenith into the
eyes of real watch fans the world over, the Zenith El Primero Striking Tenth Chronograph.

Though the first watch we showed you from Zenith 2012 was a relatively simple piece (the Espada, Zenith's first non-chronograph El Primero), the year is all about the Pilot's watch. The simplest of the three (we'll show you the other two down the line) is the Pilot Big Date Special, which is a vintage inspired chronograph (an El Primero, of course) with the addition of a big date at 6 o'clock.

During the week of SIHH, Zenith took over a palatial suite at the Grand Hotel Kempinski in Geneva, where we were shown an addition to the brand's iconic El Primero lineup. The new model features a lacquer dial, in either black or white (both equally attractive options, if I may say so myself). The fact that this model commands only a few hundred dollars more than its non-lacquered counterpart makes it a worthwhile choice for anyone with a penchant for in-house movements, refined sporty design, and modern watches with respectable lineage.